Week 4 Friday 25th January.

It’s going to be a busy weekend up here as it’s the Auckland anniversary weekend and Monday is a public holiday.

Interestingly, the date 29 January itself is not the actual day on which Auckland was founded but the day on which explorer and first governor of New Zealand William Hobson first sighted North Island at the Bay of Islands.

In 1840, Hobson arrived in New Zealand and quickly signed a treaty with the Maori, the Treaty of Waitangi, that led to New Zealand becoming a new British colony. It was on 18 September of 1840 that Hobson founded Auckland and made it the capital city of New Zealand. And that very year, a small regatta was held at Auckland in Waitemata Harbour, involving only three races.In 1850, the status of 29 January as Auckland Anniversary Day and the tradition of the Auckland Regatta became official. In these early days, Maori canoes, local fishing boats, and whaling boats took part, adding much excitement. Yachts, sailboats, and even seaplane races were added over the years.

Although it’s Aucklands day most of them are getting out of the city and many of them are driving north, a lot of them towing trailers with boats on them. Not a day to be out on the road! Today has proved a special challenge as the tar on one part of state highway 1, the main road north, is melting due to the heat and the volume of traffic. The council has
brought out lorries to spray water on the road and dampen it down. This causes big jams behind the lorries.
Beautiful skies tonight.